assertive at times. Her determination is commendable, but she is somewhat…defiant.
—You mean she doesn’t agree with everything you say? Now, I’m beginning to like her…
—I meant to say that I fear it will become increasingly more difficult for me to help you.
—I’m just thankful she’s stuck with me for the time being.
—Speaking of thankfulness, I realize I may not have properly expressed my gratitude for what you did in Bosnia.
—You don’t need to. You were right. I didn’t really notice it until I was on my way to the airport, but I didn’t want to leave. The people there are so…They’re so strong, and they’re so vulnerable at the same time. Everything there just feels more…
—Real.
—Yes. Thank you for sending me.
—Thank you for finding Fata.
—You’re welcome. I won’t forget her either. That poor woman. What she had to endure, it’s…I can’t find the words. It’s inhuman. What kind of monster would do such a thing to another person?
—War brings out the worst, and sometimes the best, in people.
—Speaking of war, I’m worried about what we’re doing here. We started this as a research project. I don’t have a degree in physics or anything, but it felt somewhat like science. This is not. It’s not a research project anymore, and I’m starting to feel like a soldier again.
There’s just too much money riding on this thing not to use it. At some point, we’re gonna take her out, and we’re gonna kill people, a hundred, a thousand…ten thousand. It’s hard to see it for what it is, because it looks like a person, a woman, but what we have is a weapon, at least that’s the way we’re treating it. If we had found a bomb, a giant missile…
—Would you be a part of this project if we had?
—Maybe. Probably. Somehow it would be easier if I weren’t the one driving this thing. I mean there’s no one else. Well, there’s one other person. But they’ll send us out there, and we won’t have a choice but to kill whoever comes at us.
You know they’ll have absolutely no idea what they’re up against, no clue that they don’t stand a chance. I guess what I’m saying is: It’s easier to be just one more soldier in a giant army than being the whole army by yourself.
—It does not matter whether you are all alone or one in an army of thousands. You have a choice. You have always had a choice. You should be grateful to be in a position to make it when the stakes are so clear. They rarely are.
—I’m not sure I understand.
—You are in control of a formidable weapon, but one that is designed for close combat. This means that you will always see whomever you choose to kill. That is a clear choice. Destroying a bridge in a night incursion is a much harder decision to make. You just never took the time to think about it. Removing it could prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front line. That bridge could also be the only escape route for civilians. How many people will you save? How many will you send to their deaths? That is a complicated decision to make, especially without all—
—Is that your phone or mine?
—Yours, I believe…
—Then that must be yours.
—Indeed it is. We seem to be popular at the moment.
—What does yours say?
—North Korea just sank a South Korean ship in the Yellow Sea. They are moving troops toward the DMZ. I believe you…
—Yep. We’re being deployed.
FILE NO. 251
MISSION LOG—CW4 KARA RESNIK, UNITED STATES ARMY
Location: Paju, near the demilitarized zone, South Korea
—Can you hear me, Ms. Resnik? Please cough if you can hear me.
—Cough? How about I just tell you? I hear you loud and clear. I muted my comms with Alyssa. She can’t hear us.
—Good. Where are you now?
—We’re in Paju. We’re walking along the highway toward the border. We took a nice stroll in the river before that.
—Is the South Korean Army following you?
—No. There are some troops behind us across the river, but they’re not moving. This is our show now. Oh, except for that tiny jeep riding next to us on the highway. I think it’s escorting us, silly as it sounds.
—How are you feeling?
—Stiff. I’m sore all over the place.
—Has there been an incident I have not been made aware of?
—No, nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. Do you know how long it took for us to get here? Eleven days! Eleven days in a container ship, sleeping in